Many years later, Leah admits that it was "wrong and rude and frankly a bit weird" for her to think of breastfeeding a stranger's baby "just for kicks".

"I think if I found a strange woman – one who was both childless and milkless – nursing my baby at a party I’d be inclined to give her a swift smack upside the head and then call the police," she said.

But, she wrote, having had her own babies, she said she has breastfed her friends' babies, and let hers be breastfed by her friends, many times.

Since becoming a parent, Leah said she has breastfed her friend's babies many times. Image via iStock.

"All to say that breastfeeding is a lovely and marvellous thing, as is co-feeding and everyone should do it," she wrote.

"Just don't try it with a strangers baby in a bedroom at a party if you are 25 and stupid."

The column has caused quite a stir on social media, which probably explains why the post was deleted from the site it was originally published on (too bad we all know the internet never forgets...).

The whole thing about Globe columnist breastfeeding a stranger's baby without consent and them deleting the story is just pic.twitter.com/5r2AZBjScV